Bail extended for six on lottery scam charges

Six men from two parishes in western Jamaica, who are before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on separate charges involving the illicit lottery scam, had their bails extended when they appeared in court yesterday.

Thirty-one-year-old Marlon Lawrence, of Hampton in St James, and his four co-accused - Ricardo McLean, Bunny Tomblin, Damian Hutchinson and Shadrock Miller - will return to court on September 18, while 30-year-old plumber Nyhone Wilmot, of Hopewell in Hanover, and who is charged for possession of paraphernalia connected to the lottery scam, will return to court on December 10.

The allegations against Lawrence and his co-accused are that the five men worked together to con a number of victims out of approximately US$500,000 (J$55,607,345) between 2005 and 2008. Lawrence reportedly bilked two United States residents out of approximately US$12,500 (J$1,390,183) during this period.

Held with lead sheet

In the case against Wilmot, it is alleged that, on February 20, he was held by the police in Cambridge, St James, in possession of a lead sheet with overseas contact information. At the time of his arrest, Wilmot was reportedly on bail on a similar charge, in which the police reportedly seized a cellular phone with overseas contact information and several papers with identity information at his home on December 28, 2013.

Yesterday, clerk of the court Natalie Malcolm told presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would be prosecuting the case against Lawrence and his co-accused.

"The DPP has conduct of this matter. Ms Maxine Jackson, from the DPP's office, has requested a date after September 16 (for mention)," said Malcolm.

Their bails were extended until September 18.

Meanwhile, the case against Wilmot was deferred to December 10, after it was revealed that the forensic certificate was outstanding.